I have read on the interwebby numerous times that CV carbs are very reliant on the correct airflow to operate correctly and pod filters will cause you nightmares trying to set them up properly. I'm not saying that it can't be done as I'm sure there are plenty of clever buggers out there that have done it, but this is your first bike, get it running as Mr.Honda intended, learn how it should run first, then when you know how it should be would be the time to fiddle with it if you needed to.

You will be chasing your tail trying to get the jetting correct. Like George said--get it running right, then fiddle with it.

This is the be write up I've seen on Pods:

Mainerider wrote:An airbox serves many purposes and one of the most mportant is to supply the carbs with a consistent and steady reserve of STILL air. Under most conditions, pod filters can't offer this; they are affected by turbulence from several sources, including cross winds, the rider's body, and the bike itself . Air pressure is directly related to air speed and carbs have a hard time dealing with the constantly varying vacuum pressures that pods often cause. This varying air speed problem occurs on even a single-cylinder bike; the problem only increases on multi-cylinder bikes. Each pod is essentially its own air supply system; with potentially varying air speeds (hence varying vacuum pressure); at each pod (due to varying turbulence levels), you will have an issue that mimics that which occurs when one or more of your carb intakes has a vacuum leak: erratic idling, stumbling, surging, etc.

This is one of the reasons that a lot of pod-equipped bikes suffer from surging problems; even after re-jetting, the lack of consistent vaccum pressure causes fuel flow to ebb and flow.

We haven't even touched on the problems of pods while riding in rainy weather...

In summary, in certain situations pods can be beneficial but overall, for street riding, they cause more problems than they cure. Pods look cool, they make carb removal and install much easier, but they are inferior to a well-designed air box. The manufacturers in the 70s and 80s weren't stupid, their marketing departments knew even back then that people loved the look of pods and if they could have fitted the bikes with pods without adversely affecting performance and ridability, they would have; they didn't because an airbox serves several important roles that pods can never handle.

I have to concur with the previous poster. But as the best options is an airbox and not pods what to do if the original airbox is broken? Is there any airfilter that can function as the original airbox?

I can say if you want the bike to have the highest mpg ratio the airbox is the best.

GeorgeSweety wrote:I have read on the interwebby numerous times that CV carbs are very reliant on the correct airflow to operate correctly and pod filters will cause you nightmares trying to set them up properly. I'm not saying that it can't be done as I'm sure there are plenty of clever buggers out there that have done it, but this is your first bike, get it running as Mr.Honda intended, learn how it should run first, then when you know how it should be would be the time to fiddle with it if you needed to.

Folsoml wrote:You will be chasing your tail trying to get the jetting correct. Like George said--get it running right, then fiddle with it.

This is the be write up I've seen on Pods:

Mainerider wrote:An airbox serves many purposes and one of the most mportant is to supply the carbs with a consistent and steady reserve of STILL air. Under most conditions, pod filters can't offer this; they are affected by turbulence from several sources, including cross winds, the rider's body, and the bike itself . Air pressure is directly related to air speed and carbs have a hard time dealing with the constantly varying vacuum pressures that pods often cause. This varying air speed problem occurs on even a single-cylinder bike; the problem only increases on multi-cylinder bikes. Each pod is essentially its own air supply system; with potentially varying air speeds (hence varying vacuum pressure); at each pod (due to varying turbulence levels), you will have an issue that mimics that which occurs when one or more of your carb intakes has a vacuum leak: erratic idling, stumbling, surging, etc.

This is one of the reasons that a lot of pod-equipped bikes suffer from surging problems; even after re-jetting, the lack of consistent vaccum pressure causes fuel flow to ebb and flow.

We haven't even touched on the problems of pods while riding in rainy weather...

In summary, in certain situations pods can be beneficial but overall, for street riding, they cause more problems than they cure. Pods look cool, they make carb removal and install much easier, but they are inferior to a well-designed air box. The manufacturers in the 70s and 80s weren't stupid, their marketing departments knew even back then that people loved the look of pods and if they could have fitted the bikes with pods without adversely affecting performance and ridability, they would have; they didn't because an airbox serves several important roles that pods can never handle.

MEHall wrote:I have to concur with the previous poster. But as the best options is an airbox and not pods what to do if the original airbox is broken? Is there any airfilter that can function as the original airbox?

I can say if you want the bike to have the highest mpg ratio the airbox is the best.

I did nothing it just worked. ran them first with stock 4-4 and then 4-1. ran good on the street. Then started drag racing it and dropped a few sizes in jets and got better. But I am at 5000 ft elevation.

cb650 wrote:I did nothing it just worked. ran them first with stock 4-4 and then 4-1. ran good on the street. Then started drag racing it and dropped a few sizes in jets and got better. But I am at 5000 ft elevation.

hmm... I'm like at zero, so... I'd get more air flow thus need bigger jets or maybe it just wouldn't work? wait, so you DROPPEE a few jet sizes? When usually you go up right? But because of your elevation you had to decrease the jets?

how did the 4 to 1 improve your acceleration or anything? I was trying to imagine the other day as I was jogging the differences in pipe area as I was adjusting my mouth and when I sprinted, or tried to sprint lol, I somehow felt I got more kick out of closing my mouth/lips. Then I got depressed I have what I thought at least looked coolest in my 4-4's. I can only imagine it would be more advantageous at speeds I most likely wont be going. Who knows, maybe I'll take a wrong turn in life and rob a bank or something bad but non violent and have to outrun some cops and thank god I got my special 82 nighthawk 650 4-4's. okay, time to sleep. maybe I can have that dream tonight, outrunning cops across the country with my super 4-4 exhaust but in my dream they taper out twice the size cartoon style, and I'm built like bruce lee but bigger. And Ill have one of those half helmuts white with a visor.